Self-check-in app gets high marks from DSE exam takers

The first day of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education written exam proceeded smoothly, with candidates expressing their satisfaction with the user-friendly self-check-in mobile application.

Nearly 50,800 students are taking the DSE exams this year, and 3,791 of them started their exam period with Visual Arts yesterday.

Candidates queued outside Ying Wa College in Cheung Sha Wan, one of the designated centers, prior to the exam's start at 8.30am. Although social distancing measures have been lifted by the exam authority, some candidates still choose to wear masks as a precautionary measure.

One candidate, surnamed Lau, expressed concerns about falling ill, saying: "I never know if I would catch the flu when walking by someone who is sick, but this will affect my performance."

The authority introduced the Check-in Smart app this year, allowing candidates to check in by scanning the barcode labeled on their desks, which serves as their identity document on the answer booklets. However, candidates are still required to turn off their mobile phones after the check-in process.

Invigilators verified candidates using designated mobile devices that display their photographs.

A candidate named Lam said her school had provided instructions on how to use the app, and she found it easy to navigate. "My school had briefly taught us [to use the app] before, and I believe it should not be difficult to use."

However, another candidate named Lee expressed concerns about the login process.

"It seems that I have to log in to my account every time I open the app, so I'm worried I will be logged out after getting into the exam hall. The login process is quite complicated too," Lee said.

Dion Chen, the principal of Ying Wa College, said that the app has significantly reduced the workload for schools and invigilators. "We no longer need to set up a corner for identification, and we were also able to reduce the number of invigilators," he said.

Chen added that the first day of the exams went smoothly.

Wei Xiangdong, the secretary general of the exam authority, shared that about 85 percent of the 3,791 Visual Arts exam takers successfully checked in using the app.

Wei highlighted the efficiency of the app in verifying candidates, which saves time for everyone involved.

"For candidates who did not use the app, invigilators provided assistance to ensure they could check in without affecting their eligibility to sit for the examination," Wei said.

The DSE Chinese Language exam, the first of the four core subjects, will commence tomorrow, while the new Citizenship and Social Development exam, which replaced the Liberal Studies subject, is scheduled for next Tuesday.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com